How to Cook a Whole Chicken (and Get the Most From It!)

One of my favorite ways to save money on food is by cooking and using a whole chicken. Here’s how to cook it in the Instant Pot (or oven or slow cooker) and get the most from it!

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One of my favorite frugal food tricks is to cook a whole chicken and use the parts for multiple meals.

Whole chickens are usually cheaper per pound than individual pieces AND you can use the bones to make homemade chicken stock/broth when you’re done!

Plus, when cooked correctly, they’re just so darn juicy and delicious!

In this post, I’ll show you how to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot and make multiple meals out of it.

Yes, it’s a little less convenient. I respect you too much to pretend it’s not.

But if you have the little extra time to spare, I promise you, it’s worth it.

HOW TO COOK A WHOLE CHICKEN IN THE INSTANT POT

I almost exclusively cook my whole chickens in the Instant Pot. They come out so tender and juicy, and I love the ease (and the energy savings!).

But I’ll also give you some links for doing it in the oven or slow cooker.

Regardless of which method you use, however, you’ll first want to prep it by removing the gizzards, etc. and generously salting it several hours or even a couple of days beforehand, if you can. That is key!

Then, proceed with your preferred cooking method.

Instructions for Instant Pot

** Before you do anything else, make sure your chicken fits in your IP!!

If you’re going to use any kind of seasoning or rub, do that now. (I usually just stick with the basics — salt and maybe pepper — to keep my chicken a blank canvas to use in other dishes.)
Set the trivet inside your IP and pour in 1 cup of cold water.
Place the whole chicken on the trivet.
Put the lid on your IP, set valve to seal, and set the cooking time to 6 minutes per pound.
When the cooking is complete, allow pressure to manually release for at least 10 minutes.
Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest for an additional 10 minutes.

HOW TO COOK A WHOLE CHICKEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN INSTANT POT

Don’t have an Instant Pot? No problem!

Here are directions for cooking a whole chicken in the oven.

And here’s how to cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker.

HOW TO USE THE WHOLE CHICKEN

It is possible to get several meals out of one whole chicken… if you do it right.

One of the best ways to save money on meat (and therefore food, in general) is to use meat as an accent, not the main event.

In other words, to get the biggest bang for your whole chicken buck, cut it up and make it part of the main dish rather than a stand-alone dish. (I’ll give you a list of ideas in the next section.)

That’s not all!

After you have taken all the meat off the bones, save them to make homemade chicken stock!

If you’re not going to get to it in the next few days, put them in a Ziploc bag and store them in the freezer for later. Then save this post for future reference.

MEALS FOR YOUR WHOLE CHICKEN

Here are some of our favorite chicken dishes:

Chicken noodle soup
Tacos
Fajitas
Main dish salads
Chicken caesar salads
Chicken pasta salad
Chicken enchiladas
Jambalaya
Chicken curry
Chicken tortilla soup
White chicken chili
Chicken & rice (or any other chicken casserole)
Chicken pot pie
Stir-fry
Chicken fried rice
Kung Pao chicken
Chicken nuggets
Stuffed peppers
Pizza
Chicken fettuccini alfredo
Chicken spaghetti
Chicken wraps, sandwiches, and melts
Chicken bacon ranch (sandwiches, salad, pasta, casserole)

With a decent-sized chicken, you should be able to get about three of these meals per bird.

For more dinnertime tips, be sure to check out The Every Mom’s Meal Solution Handbook. It is FULL of practical help for getting dinner on the table in less time, with less stress, for less money.

It covers everything from meal planning to freezer cooking to how to save money on groceries!

Learn more about this comprehensive guide to feeding your family well in any season, budget, or lifestyle HERE!